I met with the RE on 3/24 to learn the results of my clomid challenge and other bloodwork. Everything checks out A-OK. Hurray! The RE remarked that by my age (I will turn 43 next week), nearly half of all women fail to qualify for insurance-covered IVF because of their hormone levels. Mine are not quite as good as they were two years ago, but all well within the acceptable ranges. My information will be submitted to the insurance company today, so we should have an approval by Monday. Then, we simply wait for AF...
We discussed my plan, again, and concluded that we should not mess with what worked last time. She dosed me pretty high on the stims, then had to cut way back as the cycle progressed but we still ended up with 40 eggs and a worrisome E2 (3970 on CD11, I believe) that had most of the doctors screaming "FREEZE ALL!" after my ER. Considering my age, we just don't have time to waste a cycle or two trying to tweak the dosages to get the ideal balance between quality and quantity. I did ask about that trade-off... if there was one between quality and quantity, and she said that there is.
My worries this time around are not focused so much on whether or not we can succeed. Instead, I wonder how cycling and pregnancy will affect my ability to mother Charlotte. I worry about multiples, bedrest, and finances. Through it all, though, I have my sweet Charlotte who makes me laugh and fills my heart to bursting with love and pride.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Sunday, March 20, 2011
testing 1-2-3
I'll meet with the RE on Thursday, 3/24, to learn the results of the "Clomid Challenge." When I was in the office for the hysteroscopy on 3/18, one of the nurses told me that my CD3 blood work looked great.
The hysteroscopy was quick and would have been painless if not for the speculum. I'm guessing that scar tissue from my minor tearing doesn't stretch easily and was to blame for the brief pain. Luckily, it eased pretty quickly, and the procedure itself was completely without sensation. All is well in my uterus, so once the CD10 bloodwork results are in, I believe the RE will submit the request for IVF to my insurance carrier for approval.
Meanwhile, I scheduled the mammogram, but not without some drama. The first time I called, I mentioned that I'd recently stopped breastfeeding. The scheduler said I could not have a mammogram until 3 months had passed since the last time I breast fed. Timing is completely unpredictable right now as I have no idea when AF will return, so a midMay mammo might not delay anything. But it might. So, I cheated a little, called back, and booked a mammo for 4/12. According to Dr. Google, the tissue of lactating breasts is more dense than normal breast tissue, and may therefore be more difficult to read on a mammo. I'd rather have fuzzy results than none at all.
Things are moving along quite smoothly. I hope my chat with the RE on Thursday ends with some specifics about an active cycle.
The hysteroscopy was quick and would have been painless if not for the speculum. I'm guessing that scar tissue from my minor tearing doesn't stretch easily and was to blame for the brief pain. Luckily, it eased pretty quickly, and the procedure itself was completely without sensation. All is well in my uterus, so once the CD10 bloodwork results are in, I believe the RE will submit the request for IVF to my insurance carrier for approval.
Meanwhile, I scheduled the mammogram, but not without some drama. The first time I called, I mentioned that I'd recently stopped breastfeeding. The scheduler said I could not have a mammogram until 3 months had passed since the last time I breast fed. Timing is completely unpredictable right now as I have no idea when AF will return, so a midMay mammo might not delay anything. But it might. So, I cheated a little, called back, and booked a mammo for 4/12. According to Dr. Google, the tissue of lactating breasts is more dense than normal breast tissue, and may therefore be more difficult to read on a mammo. I'd rather have fuzzy results than none at all.
Things are moving along quite smoothly. I hope my chat with the RE on Thursday ends with some specifics about an active cycle.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Project Sibling... the beginning
3/10/11- CD2, Met with the RE to discuss plans for pursuing child #2. We'll follow the same protocol that resulted in Charlotte, but first need to confirm that everything is functioning properly.
Pre-IVF plans=
*** Office hysteroscopy scheduled for 3/18
*** Clomid challenge, 3/13-17 (CD5-9) with blood drawn 3/10 & 3/18
*** Need to schedule mammogram
*** C needs to have blood drawn for STD testing (standard procedure when using DS)
We've been checking periodically with the bank to ensure that our donor remains available, and would have purchased vials already if availability had diminished. Luckily, that hasn't been an issue. Charlotte will have a full sibling if this works.
Pre-IVF plans=
*** Office hysteroscopy scheduled for 3/18
*** Clomid challenge, 3/13-17 (CD5-9) with blood drawn 3/10 & 3/18
*** Need to schedule mammogram
*** C needs to have blood drawn for STD testing (standard procedure when using DS)
We've been checking periodically with the bank to ensure that our donor remains available, and would have purchased vials already if availability had diminished. Luckily, that hasn't been an issue. Charlotte will have a full sibling if this works.
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